Climatic Stress Research Articles

Modeling forest canopy structure and developing a stand health index using satellite remote sensing

Biotic and abiotic disturbances modify tree structure and degrade stand health. Accurate geospatial data on stand structure is important for monitoring tree growth, forest health, progression and severity of diseases and pests, and estimating resilience to climate stress. The live crown ratio (LCR) of trees serves as a key health indicator but has been understudied at the landscape level using remote sensing data. This study generated the leaf area index (LAI) and a novel spatial layer of LCR at site and landscape scales using a combination of satellite data and ground observations. We conducted field surveys to collect plot-level (10 m × 10 m) data in four eastern white pine (EWP; Pinus strobus L.)-dominated sites in the state of Maine, USA. The plot-level data were used to develop regression models for LAI and LCR estimation using microwave (Sentinel-1) and optical (Sentinel-2) remote sensing data and applying the Random Forest (RF) and Support Vector Machine (SVM) machine learning algorithms. The RF model showed higher prediction accuracy than the SVM model at the site level. Moreover, the prediction accuracy at the site and landscape levels were comparable for LAI (R2 > 0.76) and LCR (R2 > 0.71) using the RF model. Furthermore, the predicted LAI and LCR were integrated with canopy height and stand density to develop a novel health index map for EWP. The resulting health index map successfully delineated patches representing various health categories. Forestry practitioners and decision-makers can use the derived health index map and intermediate spatial data layers (LAI and LCR) to guide stand management. The developed framework can potentially be applied to other coniferous and broadleaved species for remote sensing-based LCR estimation and forest health assessment upon further studies and verification.

Evaluating Water Quality through Macroinvertebrate Diversity and Physicochemical Parameters in the Thamirabarani River Basin

<p style="margin-top:13px; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:Arial,"sans-serif""><span lang="EN" style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Aquatic ecosystems in the Thamirabarani River Basin, Tamil Nadu, India, are facing increasingly complex challenges due to climate change, particularly concerning water temperature and dissolved oxygen levels. This study delves into the intricate relationship between these variables and their profound implications for freshwater biodiversity. The rising temperatures and declining dissolved oxygen levels pose escalating threats to the health of aquatic organisms and the stability of ecosystems. To tackle this issue, a hybrid methodology that integrates remote sensing and field data is proposed to calculate the Water Quality Index (WQI) and comprehensively assess ecosystem health. Remote sensing data offer valuable spatial insights, while field measurements ensure accuracy, resulting in robust findings. The study uncovers a significant negative correlation between water temperature and dissolved oxygen levels, highlighting the adverse effects of warming waters on aquatic habitats. Moreover, habitat fragmentation exacerbates climate stressors, adding further challenges to freshwater biodiversity conservation. The findings underscore the urgent need for conservation and adaptive management strategies, including temperature regulation, riparian vegetation enhancement, nutrient pollution management, and habitat connectivity preservation. By implementing these measures, biodiversity loss in freshwater ecosystems can be minimized, ensuring their resilience in the face of ongoing climate change. </span></span></span></span></span></span></p>

Indigenous Ecological Knowledge and Systems of Ethnic Farmers Located at Different Altitudinal Locations along Agno River, Philippines

Ethnic farming communities located at different altitudinal locations in Agno River, Philippines face climate stressors that threaten their agricultural production. This paper determined the climate stressors experienced in the watersheds, investigated and assessed the exposures to climate stressors, and identified the ethnic affiliations of the communities, their farming practices and indigenous knowledge and systems to cope with the climate stressors. Data were gathered using pre-tested questionnaires during one-on-one interviews, focused group discussions and key informant interviews. Secondary data were likewise consulted. Majority of the communities’ ethnic affiliations are Karao, Ibaloi and Kalanguya. Farming techniques practiced include crop rotation and multicropping. The percentage of farmers in Ambuklao watershed doing it is twice as high as in both San Roque and Binga watersheds. Almost all farmers in Ambuklao do crop rotation, but apparently no one practices multicropping. Most farmers in Ambuklao plant high-value vegetables. Crop rotation is also done in San Roque and Binga where multi-cropping is also practiced. The elevational differences of the three watersheds dictate the choice of farming systems. Farm areas in Ambuklao are mostly located at higher slopes and ridges where flooding as a mean of watering is not possible. The practice of indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) in farming includes uma (kaingin), burning and applying the ash as fertilizer, natural composting, use of scarecrows and aduyon. Majority of the respondents indicated using indigenous farming systems or techniques. This did not significantly differ from the 49% who said they do not do so.

Enhancing sweet cherry resilience to spring frost and rain-induced cracking with pre-harvest melatonin treatments

Sweet cherry producers annually confront climatic challenges such as spring frost and fruit cracking. This vulnerability arises primarily from spring frost during bloom or cracking at critical maturity stages during persistent rainfall. With changing climate patterns, innovative strategies are essential to mitigate these adversities. Foliar applications of melatonin (MT) at 0, 0.01, 0.05 and 0.1 mM were tested on the ‘Prime Giant’ and ‘Sweetheart’ cultivars over four different production cycles (2020–2023) to evaluate the effect on frost resilience on flower buds and fruit cracking reduction. MT-treated flower buds showed reduced malondialdehyde content and increased fruit set in most seasons, reducing their vulnerability to extreme weather events. In addition, MT consistently decreased sweet cherry cracking incidence across all studied seasons, indicating a strong effect between the fruit ripening stage and susceptibility to fruit cracking, which was cultivar dependent. Quality parameters at harvest, including fruit firmness, and colour at harvest, were either delayed or unaffected in MT-treated fruits compared with controls. However, other ripening parameters were stimulated by pre-harvest MT applications in several growing cycles, such as total soluble solids, which slightly reduced total acidity in MT-treated fruits. In summary, pre-harvest MT treatments can be a promising strategy for climate change adaptation and stress mitigation, potentially increasing sweet cherry production under extreme weather conditions.

Intraspecific variation in leaf morphology of three widespread woody species along climatic gradients

Abstract The variation and plasticity of leaf morphology plays a pivotal role in the response to environmental changes for plant individuals. Discovering the large-scale pattern of such variation can reveal plants' general adaptive strategies. We analyzed leaf morphology of three widespread woody species in the northern hemisphere using specimen data from the iDigBio and GBIF databases, to investigate the variations in the individual mean traits, in the inter- and intra-individual variability of traits, and in the allometry between traits, along climatic gradients. We found that larger and wider leaves were associated with warmer, wetter and low-sunlight habitats, while smaller but wider leaves are linked to higher wind speed, indicating the response of leaf morphology to multiple climate stresses. The inter-individual variation in leaf area was smaller in colder and windier conditions, suggesting the trait convergence among individuals under environmental filtering, while the intra-individual variation in leaf relative width was smaller in warmer habitats, indicating the similar growth optimum of leaves within one individual in more favorable conditions. Finally, the allometric exponent between leaf length (X-axis) and width (Y-axis) became greater under lower solar radiation and higher wind speed, while the squared correlation coefficient (r2) indicating phenotypic integration showed a decoupling trend under colder conditions, indicating that climate affected the variation tendency of leaf relative width during leaf enlargement. These results reveal the common patterns of leaf morphology responding to climate variation spatially and underscore the necessity to consider inter- and intra-individual variability when examining plant responses to environmental changes.

Elucidating maternal provisioning for bivalve larvae under ocean acidity extreme events

Ocean acidity extreme (OAX) events, triggered by climate change and anthropogenic activities, are projected to become more intense and frequent in coastal ecosystems, devastating marine bivalves and ecosystems they support. Maternal effects adaptively modulate offspring performance in response to climatic stressors, but whether and to what extent they can confer offspring resistance to OAX remain largely unknown. Here, we investigated impacts of OAX on the parental and larval lipidomes of Manila clams (Ruditapes philippinarum) to add further insights into the energetic nature of maternal effects. A total of 177 significantly down-regulated lipid components (categorized into glycerolipids mainly) were shown in OAX-stressed adults compared with those reared under ambient conditions, and following parental conditioning, larvae also exhibited a further decreasing down-regulation of the glycerolipid components. Triacylglycerols were identified as the predominant composition of glycerolipids and the primary sources of energy for gonadal maturation and larvae development. Yet, larvae spawn from adults exposed to OAX had significantly lower contents of triacylglycerols than those without a prior history of parental conditioning, with the carbon chain length and unsaturation degree of the triacylglycerol components being significantly affected. The latter was also in line with significant increases in the production of triacylglycerol byproducts (diacylglycerols). Overall, our findings suggest that when OAX prevailed during reproductive seasons of Manila clams, maternal effects could be maladaptive by depressing the energetic deposition of larvae, and may not be a potential adaptive modulator of marine bivalves to cope with unprecedented environmental change.

Temporal dynamics of stream algae under the combined impacts of climate and land‐use stressors

Abstract Ecosystems are increasingly challenged by the multiple facets of climate change, coupled with intensifying land‐use pressures. These co‐occurring stressors can interact in complex ways, but we lack an empirical understanding of the impact of higher‐order interactions on temporal patterns. Using 128 flow‐through circular stream mesocosms, we investigated the individual and combined effects of two climatic stressors (CO2 enrichment, flow variability) and two land‐use‐related stressors (siltation, light—as lack of shading) on algal communities and net ecosystem productivity (NPP) in a full‐factorial design. The sediment pulses coincided with high flow to mimic erosion events, whereas CO2 and light disturbances were applied continuously, as they would in nature. Sediment emerged as a key stressor for algal biomass. Land‐use stressors had more pervasive individual effects, whereas climate‐change‐related stressors were more important in up to three‐way interactions with other stressors. However, CO2 was a key driver of NPP, followed by sediment and light, whereas flow variability was only important in interactions with other stressors. The effects of sediment and flow on algal biomass depended strongly on their temporal patterns. The combined effect of an increasing number of stressors on algal biomass appeared to reach saturation with three active stressors, with no apparent additional effect caused by the fourth stressor. Synthesis. Sediment emerged as a key stressor in streams. Despite the mounting evidence and the multitude of available mitigation strategies, this problem persists worldwide. The complex interactions uncovered in our study illustrate context‐dependency that can be masked in two‐factor experiments. Our findings also highlighted that temporal patterns of individual and co‐occurring stressors can determine the ecological outcome.

Climatic temperature indices for the coastal resilience observatory in Tabasco (Dos Bocas)‒LANRESC

This study focused on calculating climate change indices derived from maximum and minimum temperature variables for the Coastal Resilience Observatory in Tabasco, Dos Bocas, located in Paraíso, Tabasco, Mexico. The indices were computed using CLIMPACT2, 2007 version, and a total of 26 indices were obtained for the period from 1940 to 2022. Subsequently, significant trends were calculated using statistical tests such as Mann‒Kendall, trend-free prewhitening, bias correction applied to prewhitening, and variance correction (by two methods). Sen's slope method was employed to determine the extent of alteration in extreme climate indices. Increasing trends were found in the indices tn90p (%), tx90p (%), tr (days), txgt50p (%), wdsi (days), su (days), tmge10 (days), tmge5 (days), gddgrow (days), and gsl (days), indicating the presence of local warming and providing evidence of climate change detection. These results contribute to updating climate information in the area and serve as a proposal for replication in the other six Coastal Observatories of the National Coastal Resilience Laboratory in Mexico, as part of measures related to climate stressors in coastal areas where these observatories are located. This information is valuable for decision-makers and the general population, as it will support socio-environmental adaptation and mitigation measures in the face of climate change as part of efforts to enhance the resilience of socioecosystems in coastal areas.

Some Urban Trees Suffer Under Climate Stress

Heat and drought hit trees in Boston and New York City harder than those in their rural counterparts.

216 Using GPS collars and vaginal temperature sensors for characterizing rangeland usage and climatic stress in sheep

Abstract Increased climatic variability represents the most significant threat to arid rangeland production systems. We set out to describe land use behavior of rangeland sheep and associations between land use phenotypes and body weight (BW) gain via the investigation of GPS data paired with vaginal temperature sensors to characterize fitness under climatic stress. During a fortnight spanning Aug 19th to Sep 1st, 2023, we deployed 200 vaginal temperature sensors and 199 GPS collars on extensively managed Australian Merinos, and a ⅝ Merino X ⅜ Rambouillet composite line in central Nevada, totaling 200 sampled individuals. Vaginal temperature sensors were constructed by affixing Thermochron iButtons to small ruminant CIDRs depleted of progesterone. GPS collars were constructed by enclosing i-gotU GT-120B GPS units in rubber shrink tubing around large dog collars. The iButtons sampled for vaginal temperature every 10 min, and the GPS collars sampled for location every 5 min. Body weights were recorded at the beginning and end of the trial. Remotely sensed data were acquired from the USGS and climateengine.org to analyze covariates such as slope and elevation, and NDVI, and climate, respectively, and were combined with observational data to generate rasters of distance from water and shade. GPS Position was continuously modeled using the R package momentuHMM (function crwWrap) to allow for the union of simultaneous temperature and location observations. A hidden markov model was employed (function fitHMM) to delineate between active and resting observations. Estimates were more significant when modeling land use and temperature phenotypes by just “active” observations. We used a forward progressing model building function with the R package leaps (function regsubsets) to associate weight change with all land use and temperature phenotypes. Logged distance to shade (P = 0.023) and vertical distance traveled (P = 0.057) were associated with BW gain. The square root of the range in vaginal temperature was positively associated with BW gain (P = 0.045) in a simple linear regression model, suggesting that the ability to adapt to heat stress via metabolic elasticity increases fitness. This study also estimated repeatability for land use behavior and temperature traits. The repeatabilities for vertical distance traveled and distance to shade were 0.20 ± 0.03 and 0.04 ± 0.01, respectively. The repeatabilities for mean temperature and vaginal temperature range were 0.47 ± 0.03 and 0.26 ± 0.03, respectively. In conclusion, some land use traits are lowly to moderately repeatable and have significant relationships to BW gain (i.e., fitness) in rangeland settings. Temperature traits are moderately to highly repeatable and can be associated with BW gain.

Bolstering community resilience through health-focused climate change adaptation: moving from talk to action in Western Canadian communities

ABSTRACT The impacts of climate change have been recognized as a global health emergency. Worsening climate stressors are resulting in injury, illness and death. As this threat to health grows, so does the need to adapt. Climate change adaptation has been noted to reduce the risk of disease transmission, chronic illness exacerbation, physical trauma, and the mental health impacts associated with climate change. Cities across Western Canada have initiated the process of implementing health-focused climate change adaptation; however, progress has been slow, leaving communities vulnerable to health threats. Exploring five case study communities in Western Canada, this research sheds light on factors that enable and constrain progress on health-focused climate change adaptation. Research objectives are addressed through analysis of 16 key actor interviews (with experts in public health, planning, local governance, and other related fields), and a scan of relevant strategic planning documents. Results indicate that political will, expertise, and awareness has resulted in the development of health-focused climate change adaptation policy/ plans. However, implementation of these plans lags in practice. This lag stems from a lack of implementation detail in climate change adaptation plans, limited understanding of the impact of climate change on health, and jurisdictional confusion.

Employees’ Emotional Intelligence and Job Satisfaction: The Mediating Role of Work Climate and Job Stress

(1) Background: This study examines the mediating roles of work climate and perceived job stress on the relationship between emotional intelligence (EI) and job satisfaction using a serial mediation model in a sample of employees. Although EI is known to influence several organizational outcomes, its interaction with work climate and job stress is less well understood. (2) Methods: The PROCESS macro (Model 6) v4.2 by Hayes was employed to test the multiple mediating effects of work climate and perceived job stress on the relationship between emotional intelligence and job satisfaction. (3) Results: The results indicate that higher EI is associated with a more positive work climate, higher job satisfaction, and lower perceived job stress. Work climate and job stress mediate the relationship between EI and job satisfaction. Specifically, EI improves job satisfaction both directly and indirectly by increasing positive work climate and decreasing job stress. (4) Conclusions: These findings highlight the critical role of EI in creating a supportive work environment and improving employee well-being.

Impact of Climate Change on Human Lactation: Biological, Socioeconomic, and Public Health Implications

Global climate change poses significant challenges to human health and nutrition, particularly affecting lactating individuals and their infants. This review examines the impact of climate change on lactation, focusing on physiological, socioeconomic, and public health implications. Rising temperatures and heat stress can reduce milk production and alter milk composition, while malnutrition and water scarcity exacerbate these effects. Vulnerable populations face heightened risks, emphasizing the need for targeted mitigation strategies. Recommendations include enhancing nutritional support, securing water supplies, reducing environmental toxin exposure, and integrating lactation considerations into climate policies. Employing a social-ecological lens, this review underscores the necessity of a holistic approach to support lactating individuals in a warming world. Future research should explore the complex interactions between climate stressors and lactation to develop effective public health interventions.

Strategies for enhancing productivity, resilience, nutritional quality, and consumption of pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.] for food and nutritional security in India

AbstractPearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.] is an important component of agri‐food system in areas experiencing drought and high temperature and for increasing the resilience to climatic stresses and addressing malnutrition. The purpose of this review is to examine strategies for improving productivity, stress resilience, and nutritional quality of pearl millet and to understand its consumption pattern. Genetic diversification of hybrid parental lines remains strategically important to breed diverse, disease‐resistant and drought‐tolerant hybrids. Resistance to diseases, tolerance to drought, and high temperature and greater contents of iron and zinc are targeted in improving hybrid parental lines. Lodging resistance, compact panicles, panicle exertion, and improved seed set are universal traits, whereas duration, tillering ability, seed color, and seed size have a strong regional preference. The strategy of developing high‐yielding and disease‐resistant hybrids with adaptation to challenged agro‐ecologies has led to increase in yield from 303 to 1219 kg/ha between 1960 and 2020. Yield and stress resilience are to be increased further using conventional breeding and new tools like genomic selection, speed breeding, genome editing, and precision phenotyping. Mainstreaming grain nutritional traits, viz., iron and zinc contents in genetic improvement are essential to develop high‐yielding and nutrient‐rich pearl millet. There is need to enhance the consumption of pearl millet by strengthening existing value‐chain, providing consumer a choice of diverse range of food products, creating awareness about its health benefits and promotion through government schemes.

Droughts and windstorms due to climate change increase variability in species and trait composition of a subtropical monsoon evergreen broadleaf forest in China

BackgroundClimate change is accelerating alterations in forest species and community composition worldwide, especially following extreme events like severe droughts and windstorms. Understanding these effects on subtropical forests is crucial for conservation and forest management, but it remains unclear whether the impacts are stochastic or deterministic. MethodsWe analyzed a unique dataset from a 1-ha permanent plot in a subtropical monsoon broadleaf evergreen forest in China, monitored over 26 years with six surveys from 1994 to 2020. The forest has been free from anthropogenic disturbances for over 400 years. In each survey, we measured all trees with a diameter at breast height (DBH) ​≥ ​1 ​cm, and recorded 11 plant functional traits relating to photosynthesis, wood properties, water use, and nutrient dynamics. Using this data, we calculated species and trait dispersion, assessing short-term (∼5 years) and long-term (26 years) trends in species and trait composition following severe droughts and windstorm events. ResultsSevere droughts, and subsequent droughts, increased both species and trait dispersion, while species composition converged, and trait dispersion remained relatively stable throughout the recovery period. Windstorm events led to increased species dispersion but decreased trait dispersion. We observed a clear directional shift in both species and trait composition under these climatic stressors, with a more pronounced increase in trait dispersion compared to species dispersion. ConclusionIn the short term (∼5 years), severe droughts and windstorms increased species composition divergence, while trait composition responses varied. Over 26 years, deterministic processes mainly drove community composition changes, especially for trait composition, although stochastic processes also played a role. These findings suggest enhancing forest resilience to climatic stressors by protecting adaptive species or increasing species diversity in management practices.

Genomic responses to climatic challenges in beef cattle: A review.

Climate change is a major concern for the near future and for livestock breeding. Cattle breeding, due to its greenhouse gas emissions, is one of the most implicated industries. Consequently, the main future goals are to breed animals resilient to climate change, with the aim of lowering the livestock impact on the environment and selecting animals that will be able to resist different, unsuitable, and changing climates. The aim of this literature review is to compare the most recent studies on the response and adaptation of beef cattle breeds to extreme environments, in terms of genes and pathways involved. Beef breeding is just starting to implement genomics in its selection plans, and shedding light on the genomic responses to extreme climates could speed up and simplify the adaptation of these breeds to climate change. This review discusses the genes involved in climatic stress responses, including those related to extremely cold climates, in beef and dual-purpose cattle breeds. Genes were associated with productive traits, coat and skin structure and development, thermotolerance, cellular physiology and DNA repair mechanisms, immune system, and fertility traits. The knowledge of genes and pathways involved in climate resilience should be taken into consideration for further selection in beef cattle breeding and could promote the valorization of local breeds adapted to extreme environmental conditions. The use of local or resilient breeds could enhance the environmental and social sustainability, animal welfare, and production, compared with the introduction of cosmopolitan breeds with uncertain adaptation in uncontrolled environmental areas.

Design and Comparison of Vertical and Horizontal Hydroponic Systems for Coriander and Spinach Growth

Understanding the differences in growth performance between these two systems will provide valuable insights for optimizing hydroponic farming practices, particularly in regions with harsh climates and limited water access, where sustainable and efficient food production is crucial for addressing future food security challenges. As the global population continues to grow and climate stress intensifies, indoor/vertical farming is to complement traditional agricultural practices by enhancing sustainable food production and ensuring high-quality produce. The study demonstrated that the horizontal hydroponic system was significantly more effective for growing coriander than the vertical system. In summary, the horizontal hydroponic system consistently outperformed the vertical system for both spinach and coriander, with particularly pronounced results for coriander. Since the shoot is the main economic part of both spinach and coriander, the vertical hydroponic system outperforms the horizontal system, offering significant advantages for economic production. These findings highlight the importance of using vertical hydroponic systems to achieve higher and more profitable yields of these crops.

Vulnerability of barley yields in Québec.

Climate projections across Québec indicate increased water stress and recurrent vulnerability of cropping systems. In recent years, reports of droughts and water stress have been recorded across the province. Many parts of Québec have experienced droughts in the past few years, which have had uninvestigated impacts on crops. These droughts have been described as some of the most significant in the last 80 years. On the positive side, climate change is likely to trigger shorter winters and therefore longer growing seasons for several crops. However, for crops like maple syrup, the regions suitable for their cultivation will shift northwards. Despite these projections, studies monitoring the susceptibility of barley to environmental changes, climate variability, and adaptive capacity across Québec are still limited. This study aims to provide a provincial-scale portrait of vulnerability of barley in Québec based on historical growing season precipitation, barley yield, and socioeconomic data (literacy and poverty rates) using a composite statistical model. Growing season precipitation data were downloaded from Ouranos. Barley yield data were collected from the Institut de la Statistique du Québec, and the socio-demographic data were collected from the Advisory Council of Poverty and the Institut de la Statistique du Québec. A vulnerability index with sub-indices (sensitivity, exposure, and adaptive capacity) is deployed. It is hypothesised that (1) vulnerability is inversely associated with adaptive capacity, and (2) the peripheral regions of Québec are more vulnerable and less adaptive to climate stressors. Initial results show that when the vulnerability index for barley is more prominent, the associated index of adaptive capacity is relatively lower. A significant gradient between the peripheral and southern regions of Québec is observed, with vulnerability lowest around Montreal/Laval and gradually increasing towards the peripheral regions. A better understanding of vulnerability warrants a change in approach from focusing solely on climate-related variables to integrating socioeconomic proxies. The challenge, however, has been how to introduce these socioeconomic proxies into empirical and process-based crop models.

Determinants of household income and livelihood sustainability of coastal regions: evidence from south-western Bangladesh

The coast of south-western Bangladesh has been facing an increasing severity of climate stressors, thereby affecting the livelihoods of households. This has necessitated the importance of understanding the complex aspects of their sustainability. This study investigates factors influencing household income and livelihood sustainability of coastal residents in southwestern Bangladesh. A survey was carried out among 300 heads of households from the Kailashganj and Laudubi villages under Dacope sub-district of Khulna district (a climate-sensitive region) in Bangladesh. We utilized the composite livelihood sustainability index (LSI) and multiple linear regression to identify the factors influencing coastal households’ income. Findings revealed that the overall LSI among the households was 0.663 (moderate sustainability). Additionally, the highest LSI was found in terms of social capital and the lowest LSI was identified in terms of financial capital. The findings of the regression analysis indicated that monthly household income was positively and significantly influenced by its close linkages to local leaders (p < 0.05) and association with non-governmental organizations (p < 0.01). Moreover, economically active members (p < 0.01), more accessibility of commuting transportation (p < 0.01), and availability of water for irrigation (p < 0.01) were positively and significantly derived the monthly household income. Policymakers can use these results as a basis for formulating policies (e.g., enhancing the training and skill development programs as well as prioritizing investment in expanding irrigation systems) that can address the essential livelihood and income requirements of the community that is affected by climate change.

Revisiting plant hardiness zones to include multiple climatic stress dimensions

A tradition exists for delineating "hardiness zones" for important plants in horticulture and agriculture. However, these zones are typically based on surviving cold winter conditions, disregarding other stressors. Factors such as the effects of summer heat, aridity, or excessive humidity have been overlooked, limiting our understanding of challenges faced by plants associated with human activities, particularly in a time of rapid global-scale climate change. Annual plants not exposed to winter cold and heat-sensitive plants encountering early summer heat waves may experience significant difficulties. Here, we establish hardiness zone criteria for four climatic dimensions: heat, cold, dryness, and moisture. We explore how this expanded concept of hardiness zones could be implemented in the context of 872 tree species in the United States, as a step toward understanding stressors that plants experience in different climates. The aim is to provide insights that may be informative for horticultural and agricultural practices.